Stepladders and creepers are well known devices. Conventionally, these devices are separate entities and are employed separately. This of course requires separate purchases. Furthermore, each device occupies its own storage space.
As will be seen below, the apparatus of the present invention incorporates platform portions hingedly interconnected to provide either a stepladder configuration or a creeper configuration. A search of the prior art located no such arrangement. There are, however, patents which show the general concept of folding creepers per se; namely, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,532, issued Aug. 1, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,489, issued Sep. 7, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,298, issued May 9, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,352, issued Dec. 26, 1989, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,417, issued Sep. 23, 1952.
The search also located U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,955, issued Dec. 7, 1991, relating to a mechanic's helper (not a creeper) and step platform, U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,719, issued Aug. 22, 2000, directed to a user-configurable mechanic's stool, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0125662, published Sep. 12, 2002. Articulated ladders enabling the ladders to fold and assume different configurations are also known, some of which utilize locking hinges generally. See the following patent publications: U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,329, issued May 15, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,306, issued Sep. 10, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,118, issued Jun. 11, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,371, issued Feb. 24, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,198, issued Jun. 25, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,239, issued Oct. 22, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,986, issued Mar. 25, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,559, issued Sep. 13, 1988 and PCT Application No. WO 00/43627, published Jul. 27, 2000. However, such prior art articulated ladders are not convertible into creepers, nor is there any known prior art which incorporates the unique locking hinge structure disclosed herein in a convertible creeper/stepladder arrangement.
In summary, there is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art, whether taken alone or in combination, of the apparatus disclosed and claimed herein for supporting an individual and selectively alternatively employable as either a creeper or a stepladder.